15 Things About the 1950s Americans Crave To Have Back

For many Americans, the 1950s conjure images of poodle skirts and soda fountains. While these have become symbols of a former era, there’s much more to know about this decade.

Many Americans who were alive in the 1950s may miss some things about this period. Some view the ‘50s as a simpler time, before social media and smartphones commanded so much of people’s attention.

Here are 15 things some people may miss about the 1950s. Whether you lived through this decade or you’ve only heard stories about it, take a minute to reminisce about this period of American culture.

1: Drive-In Theaters

While the first drive-in movie theater opened in 1933 in New Jersey, drive-ins became more popular in the 1950s. At the height of their popularity, there were over 4,000 drive-in theaters across the United States, primarily in rural areas.

Today, you can still enjoy a movie at a drive-in movie theater, but you may have to make a longer drive. There are about 300 drive-ins remaining, and a handful of states have none in business.

2: Drive-In Restaurants

Along with the drive-in theater, drive-in restaurants became wildly popular in the 1950s. During this decade, drive-in restaurants sold anything from burgers and fries to coffee and ice cream.

Drive-ins were in such high demand that some restaurants started to use conveyor belts to send out food to customers. By the mid-1970s, however, many drive-in restaurants had shuttered, largely replaced by drive-through fast food establishments. 

3: Sock Hops

On Friday nights in the 1950s, many American teenagers attended sock hops at their school gymnasiums. All dancers had to take off their shoes so they wouldn’t scratch the floor, which is how the dances became known as “sock hops.”

Sock hops continued to be popular into the 1960s. After that, they become less common, though some schools and organizations continue to hold 1950s-themed throwback sock hops.

4: Poodle Skirts

What did you wear to a sock hop in the 1950s? If you were a teenage girl, you may have sported a poodle skirt, one of the most quintessential fashion choices of the decade.

The poodle skirt originated in the late 1940s, designed by Juli Lynne Charlot. The felt skirt featured an applique, which was often a poodle.

5: Home Prices

On average, homes cost far less in the 1950s than they do today. Many Americans, both younger and older, may wish for a return to lower home prices.

By 1950, the average cost of a home was $7,354. Today, that equals about $93,602. Since 1950, housing prices have increased nearly 13 times.

6: Soda Fountains

In the 1950s, many young people gathered at soda fountains in corner drugstores or malt shops. At the soda fountain, you could order a milkshake or a carbonated beverage, served at the counter.

Many Americans who lived through the 1950s may feel nostalgic for these old-fashioned soda fountains. By the 1980s, they had largely fallen out of style because they were costly to maintain.

7: Hula Hoops

In the late 1950s, it was common to see people using hula hoops in parks, playgrounds, and schools across America. The toy company Wham-O created the hula hoop in 1958, and it sold 25 million of the toys within two months.

Hula hoops often brought a lot of laughter, especially when first-timers tried to use them. You can buy a hula hoop today, but it’s much less popular than it was in the ‘50s.

8: Slinkys

The Slinky, another toy of a bygone era, can instantly conjure memories for many older Americans. During the 1950s, many kids spent hours making their Slinkys step down the stairs one at a time.

Slinkys weren’t instantly popular when the creator, Richard Thompson James, first introduced them. However, they took off in popularity after Gimbels Department Store chose to stock them for the 1945 holiday season. The Slinky continued to be a beloved toy throughout the 1950s.

9: Steady Gas Prices

In 1950, a gallon of gas in the United States cost 27 cents on average. That’s comparable to about $3.40 per gallon in today’s world.

However, those prices held steady throughout the 1950s and 1960s. That means the price of gas continued to fall throughout those decades when accounting for inflation. Many Americans today may wish for a 20-year period of steady gas prices.

10: Ice Cream Trucks

During the summers of the 1950s, many young children (and their parents) rushed outside when they heard the familiar jingle of the ice cream truck. The first ice cream trucks appeared in the 1920s, selling Good Humor bars. By the 1950s, Good Humor had around 2,000 ice cream trucks in operation.

You can still find ice cream trucks in some American neighborhoods today, but they’re much less common. The high costs of gas and permits have caused many ice cream trucks to vanish.

11: Bowling

Sure, you can go bowling today, but it’s not the same as it was in the ‘50s. Back then, bowling was a national pastime, and many people headed to the bowling alley for friendly games and competitive tournaments.

In 1950, a tournament held in Columbus, Ohio, attracted over 5,000 teams with nearly 26,000 bowlers in attendance. The cost to set up the tournament site was $377,000, which equates to about $4.3 million today.

12: Diners

Diners became popular eateries during the Great Depression and World War II era because of their affordability. However, they really took off in popularity during the 1950s. They had a relaxed atmosphere and served classic American food, like burgers and pancakes.

By the mid-50s, over 6,000 diners were in business in the United States. By the 1970s, the emergence of fast-food restaurants had caused many diners to close.

13: Jukeboxes

The 1950s were the era of rock ‘n roll, and Americans often listened to this music on jukeboxes. These neon machines became a staple of 1950s culture, often found in diners, dance halls, and bars.

The jukebox industry reached its peak in the ‘40s and ‘50s after the end of World War II. By the 1970s, the demand for jukeboxes had fallen considerably, though some still remain in bars and restaurants to this day.

14: Film and TV

Known as the Golden Age of Television, shows in the 1950s included various hits, like “I Love Lucy” and “Leave It To Beaver.” Televisions became more affordable during this decade, so more people could watch these shows at home.

In addition to iconic television shows, the 1950s also ushered in some big-time movie stars. John Wayne, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, and many others lit up big screens across America.

15: Sunday Drives

Many Americans view the 1950s as a less complicated time. The tradition of Sunday drives symbolizes this period of simplicity.

In the ‘50s and ‘60s, many people took Sunday drives with no clear destination in mind. Today, high gas prices and people’s busy schedules may have done away with this pastime.

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